The Camouflaged Cross: Tales Of Christian Preppers In The End Times (Just Run Book 1) (4 page)

“I don’t recognize any of those people, except for Kirk and Jackie,” David whispered to Sean. “This is crazy.”

The guy with the megaphone continued, “This machine will imprint a bar code on the foreheads of everyone here. While the Mark is put on your forehead, you need to give a thumbprint, so that the machine can match the code on your forehead to your thumbprint held in government computers. You will see how painless it is, and the bar code that is printed there is something that can barely be seen with your eyes. It is something that a machine’s light can see, but you can barely see it. I had it done onto my own forehead and I cannot see it at all.”

Sean smirked. “He means without a mirror he can’t see it,” Sean whispered.

“Shh,” David whispered.

The man with the megaphone continued. “If for some reason you cannot have the Mark put on your forehead, then we can put it on your right hand. Very simple. Very easy. Free of charge. And it is required by law. You will then be able to buy and sell, have bank accounts, everything. And you won’t run the risk of being executed if you don’t have this code on your forehead.”

“This has to be a joke,” Sean whispered.

“Don’t do it guys,” said David, under his breath. “This looks bad.”

Three of the men with guns led the people from the back of the pick-up towards the back of the Humvee. Two of the people in line, a man and a woman, appeared to be arguing with each other. One of the people in line, a Hispanic woman in her 40’s, walked up to the machine, and one of the men cut the zip tie that held her hands together. She then put their head into the machine, and her right thumb onto the flat part of the machine to the right. A brief red light shone onto the women’s forehead. The machine stopped. She then backed away from the machine and rubbed her wrists. She felt her forehead, and checked her fingers for blood. She shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, “What’s the big deal?” She turned and walked to the back of the second pick-up and leaned onto the side of the truck, watching the others.

A second person, a thin guy with red hair, was directed towards the back of the Humvee. Two of the other people in line continued to argue with each other. The woman could be heard saying to the man “Just get it over with!” The man yelled back at her, “I’m not going to take the Mark! That’s it! We talked about this!”

“Good for you, Kirk,” David whispered. “And I cannot believe Jackie is willing to do this.”

“Should I shoot these guys?” Sean asked David, pulling his .22 rifle closer.

“No,” you will miss and just give our position anyway,” David answered. “Besides, I count five guys with machine guns. They could shoot back and we would be history.” He paused. “I cannot believe we are even talking like this.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“No, it’s not you. I just never thought I would be seriously talking about shooting people. Only a few minutes ago we were talking about my messed-up business trip. This is crazy.”

The red-haired man then approached the machine and the zip tie holding his hands was cut. He put his face into the machine, and his right thumb onto the flat part to the right. A red light briefly shone onto his forehead. He then backed away, and he walked back to the second pick-up truck and stood next to the Hispanic woman, watching the others.

The next person to be directed towards the Humvee was an olive-skinned woman in her 30’s, with long brown hair. One of the men with machine guns cut the zip tie holding her hands and she put her face and thumb onto the machine, and one of the men with guns held back her hair.

As Kirk and Jackie’s arguing got louder, Kirk yelled at Jackie, “Just don’t do it. Just say no!”

“They’ll kill us otherwise!” Jackie screamed back.

“This is wrong,” Kirk shouted. “I’m not going to take the Mark, and that is final!”

“Preach it, Kirk,” David whispered. “Preach it good.”

A red light flashed on the woman’s forehead. She stepped back. She massaged her left wrist. She then walked to the back of the second pick-up truck with the two others before her.

A blonde, effeminate-looking college-age man was directed towards the Humvee. Jackie jumped in front of him, and looked back at Kirk. She yelled, “I’ll show you. It is no big deal. Just get it done and they will leave us alone and we can go home.”

Jackie nudged aside the college-age man and walked to the Humvee, where one of the men cut the zip tie holding her hands together and she quickly put her face and thumb into the machine. “Jackie, no!” Kirk roared. He tried to approach the Humvee but was held back by two of the men with machine guns.

“No! No!” Kirk continued to shout.

“Don’t do it, Jackie,” David whispered.

The red light flashed onto Jackie’s forehead. Jackie backed away from the Humvee, quickly squeezed her right wrist and massaged her right shoulder. She was directed back to the others, but she approached Kirk.

“See,” she said, taunting Kirk. She waived her arms. “Nothing has happened to me. I got the Mark and I am fine. No big deal. It’s done. Am I going to Hell? It sure doesn’t feel like it! I’m still right here. Just get this thing on your forehead and let’s get out of here!”

“Jackie, Jackie,” Kirk started to cry. “I can’t believe you just did that.” One of the men with machine guns directed Jackie to wait with the others.

The college-age man looked at Jackie, and then approached the Humvee. The man with the megaphone stopped him and asked, “You aren’t homosexual, are you? A gay?”

Startled, the man replied, “No, no. Of course not. That’s illegal.”

“OK.” The leader looked reassured, and he let the college-age man by. The man then walked towards the Humvee.

One of the men cut his zip tie, and the college-age man put his head and thumb into the machine. A moment later, it was over. He joined the others.

“I refuse to take that Mark!” Kirk yelled at the guy with the megaphone. “I don’t care. The Bible is very clear on this. I’m not going to do it.”

“Right on, Kirk,” David whispered. “Good for you.”

Two men holding machine guns grabbed Kirk and tried to walk him to the Humvee, but he resisted. Jackie ran to Kirk’s defense. “Leave him alone! You’re hurting him!” One of the men with machine guns pointed his gun at Jackie and directed her to go wait with the others. Jackie started walking back.

The men pushed Kirk to the ground. A couple of the men started to punch him. A third kicked him in the stomach. “I’m not gonna do it!” Kirk yelled. The man with the megaphone put the megaphone back in the front seat of the Humvee while the others continued to beat Kirk.

Jackie ran back to Kirk. “Get off of him!” One of the men with machine guns pointed his gun at her and she stopped. He followed her to the back of the second pick-up with the others. The others waiting there tensed and stepped away from the pick-up. The man with the machine gun kept his gun pointed at Jackie.

“Oh no,” David whispered. “God, please, make it stop.”

The men stopped beating Kirk and lifted him up off the ground. The man walking back from the Humvee again asked Kirk if he would take the Mark. Kirk shook his head “No.”

He asked Kirk again. Kirk yelled “No!”

“Are you sure? Don’t you know we could kill you?”

Kirk repeated, “There is no way I am taking the Mark.”

“OK,” the man said, and nodded to two of the men with guns. They walked to the back of the third truck. One of them lowered the tailgate and a long, silver chrome object could be seen laying in the back of the pick-up truck.

One of the men put his arm through his gun strap and put his gun behind him so that he could use both hands on the pick-up truck. He reached for some controls inside the truck bed, behind the passenger seat. The ‘wrrr” of hydraulics could be heard. The chrome metal device started raising up in the back of the pick-up truck. It was a guillotine, with the blade down. The man pulled a rope from the top and the blade was drawn to the top of the guillotine.

“No way,” David whispered. “This can’t be happening.”

“Maybe they’re bluffing,” Sean said. David nodded, “No.”

“If you don’t take the Mark, you will be killed!” The leader announced to Kirk.

“No!” Jackie cried out. She ran towards Kirk but the man guarding her slammed his rifle butt into her stomach. She fell on the ground in pain. The man pointed his gun at the others waiting nearby, and they held their hands up.

The men moved Kirk, who was struggling, to the guillotine. “The Bible is crystal clear on this! I will not take the Mark!” Kirk shouted. The men struggled with Kirk, who looked skyward. “Jesus take me …” Kirk continued, but the rest of his words could not be heard amongst struggle. Kirk was pushed over so that he was lying face-down down in the back of the pick-up truck. One of the men reached down and grabbed Kirk’s hair as the others pushed Kirk further into the position of the guillotine.

“You cannot do this!” Jackie yelled. “I just took the Mark, so leave him alone!” The man with a gun on her held her back.

“God, please…” David whispered.

The blade quickly came down, and the man holding onto Kirk’s hair lifted the separated head up. Blood poured out. The man threw the head onto the roadblock nearby.

Both David and Sean sat there in silence, mouths open. Jackie fell to the ground and cried violently.

One of the men reached into Kirk’s back pocket and got his wallet. He looked through it, then put it into his own pocket. Two of the men grabbed Kirk’s body and tossed it onto the roadblock. A “wrrr” hydraulic sound could be heard again as the man at the controls lowered the guillotine back down into the back of the pick-up truck. One of the men raised the tail gate.

Jackie writhed on the ground, crying.

The leader went back to the Humvee and got the megaphone. He looked up into the hills, turned on the megaphone, and spoke. “We are serious about everyone taking the Mark of Allegiance. It is the law. Receive it or die. On the other hand,” he paused and gestured to those waiting at the back of the second pick-up truck, “for those who take it, the Mark of Allegiance is the start of a bright, new future.”

He spoke to the other men there. “Let’s go.” They directed the other people who had taken the Mark into the back of the second pick-up truck. Jackie did not want to go, and they left her there. The men with the guns got in the trucks and drove back down the road and left. Jackie approached Kirk’s body and stopped a few feet away. She put her hand to her mouth and nose, still crying.

****

David and Sean sat in silence, staring at Jackie at the roadblock. A sound of liquid nearby could be heard. It was David, wetting his pants. The two continued to sit and watch, with their mouths open, barely breathing.

Jackie stood nearby Kirk’s body, and she appeared to pray. She then turned and walked down the road in the same direction of the trucks. Before she rounded the turn in the road, she looked back for one last look at the roadblock area.

David and Sean continued to look at the roadblock area, in silence. Thirty minutes went by, and the two said nothing.

Sean whispered, “I cannot believe … that … just happened.” Sean leaned outside the observation post and tried to throw up, but nothing came out. He was dry heaving.

“No. No. No,” David whispered. “Poor Kirk.” He paused. “I can’t believe it. We asked him and Jackie to join us up here.”

“Huh?” was all Sean could say. There was no answer. The two sat in silence for another 10 minutes, looking at the roadblock and Kirk’s body.

“We are going to have to get up, Sean. Let’s get out of here. I can’t stand this, just sitting here,” David said. He took a deep breath and looked at Sean. “Let’s go back. I know our shift is not up yet. I can’t just sit here. I have to go.”

“OK,” Sean mumbled.

David looked towards the back of their post. “I don’t know if I can even walk.” He crawled out and laid on the ground. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. He wiped his face. “Let’s go, Sean. Just leave everything behind. The guns and the walkie-talkie. Just leave it all here.”

“Wait,” David looked more awake. He looked to a neighboring hillside, then back at Sean. “Hand me that walkie-talkie.” Sean handed it to David, who then turned it on and changed a channel on it.